Dunstable divided by administrator proposal

DUNSTABLE -- When the ceiling at Town Hall leaks, Town Clerk Carol Skerrett goes to her desk and types a note to selectmen.

With no one in the building to oversee day-to-day operation, alerting selectmen through a note and the board's secretary is the best she can do, Skerrett said.

For Skerrett and some other town workers, the issue is more about efficiency than about convenience. Selectmen say the $690,000 reconstruction of a downtown section of Route 113 and the historic McGovern stonewalls could have started much sooner had the town had a professional to guide them through the state funding process. Selectmen Chairman Ken Leva, for one, said someone who could connect the town's economic development goals, the Master Plan and other issues will be valuable.

"You need somebody to facilitate to bring this all together," Skerrett said, supporting selectmen's idea to fund a town administrator position under next fiscal year's budget.

"I think looking at the future and looking at the skillsets required (for the position), it might be a good thing to do," though its support will depend on the job description, Finance Committee member Dana Metzler said.

Some other elected officials say, however, they doubt the town with the population of about 3,200 needs a full-time town administrator.

"What I want to know is, if there is any other town of our size has a town administrator and if this town administrator (would be hired) merely to do the job that elected people are supposed to be doing and are not doing," Planning Board Chairman Brett Rock said.

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"I don't want to see this person to be a substitute for people who are willing to put in their time" to serve, Conservation Commissioner Alan Chaney said.

"I think that if you don't want to do the job, then don't run for the office," said former Selectwoman Susan Psaledakis.

The initiative to create a town administrator position stems from the state Department of Revenue's move in early 2008 to put Dunstable on its "watch list." the DOR began working with then-town Treasurer Roberta Dean because excise-tax revenues dropped, threatening the town's fiscal health. The town balanced the budget that year and was removed from the watch list. But DOR provided a list of actions the town could take to avoid similar problems, including hiring of a town administrator -- an idea that Town Meeting later approved.

Selectmen held a workshop on the would-be position on Dec. 27, which Chaney said about 10 people, including himself, attended. Planning Board member Joan Simmons said she missed the workshop while away on vacation and that she is hoping for another informational session. Selectmen are expected to start discussing the "next step" at their meeting on Monday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Selectman Walter Alterisio has said there is some apprehension among elected officials and town workers that having a town administrator could change the town's character. Selectmen envision a town administrator that has much more limited authority than a town manager would because the existing town charter allows for such a position.

Generally, a town administrator fulfills wishes of the selectmen, while a town manager is responsible for the community's day-to-day operation.

Metzler said Dunstable's town administrator should be able to control over certain departments and boards within the scope that the charter allows.

"The reason you are bringing in someone is to empower them to get things done," Metzler said.

Chaney said, however, that wouldn't be true with all boards.

"I don't feel the need for such a person to have authority over what we do," Chaney said.

Chaney also noted that the Conservation Commission, which has secured tens of millions of dollars in grants over the years, won't need a town administrator to secure more funding for preservation. If selectmen need assistance with grants, they could hire a consultant, Rock said. Both Rock and Chaney believe a part-time administrator would be more appropriate than a full-timer. But, hours could increase once the position is created, Chaney said.

"We are a very small town, and we have the advantage of being governing ourselves," Psaledakis said. "If people hire someone to govern, they will never take it back."

Leva has said selectmen are hoping to recruit retired administrators, so the town can save on retirement benefits. For example, nearby Ashby has a similar population as Dunstable and employs a retired administrator for 20 hours per week.

Ideally, all departments will "chip in" to fund the position, he has said. But, Rock said the budget for the Planning Board, for example, only pays for salaries, postage and other office materials, and does not have any room to contribute to such a new position.

Chaney, Rock and Metzler said they hope to find out exactly what selectmen have in mind for the position in coming weeks.

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